True Self
by obsessivelyaddictive
Summary: AU. Emma Swan a FBI agent was paid a visit by Henry the baby who she abandoned ten years ago. He brought her to Storybrooke. She noticed there's something wrong with Regina his adoptive mother but she didn't stay. So what did she do instead?


**Title:** True Self Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Summary:** AU. Emma Swan a FBI agent was paid a visit by Henry the baby who she abandoned ten years ago. He brought her to Storybrooke. She noticed there s something wrong with Regina his adoptive mother but she didn t stay. So what did she do instead?

**A/N:** I am not a writer. I just wanted to write something so bad yesterday and couldn t control myself. And English is not my native. All mistakes are mine.

"Agent Swan, there is a child here to see you," a receptionist called.  
"I don't have time to deal with a child," Emma Swan, 28 year old, who had been working from 6 a.m. to now, 9 p.m., barked.  
"That's what I told him. But then he said he was your son who you gave up for adoption ten years ago…"

Panic, which was out of her dictionary since she had become a FBI special agent, shot through her. She didn't and couldn't pay any attention to what the rest of the sentences were. The baby she abandoned. The reminder of her trouble past. He was here, just downstairs. How did he find her? What did he want from her? Did someone manipulate him to blackmail her? Who could it be?  
"Swan? Agent Swan?" The receptionist shouted and finally brought her back to the present.  
"I'm sorry. I'm coming down now." She hung up, put on her favorite red leather jacket, and left her cell. She would not back down. She would face him no matter what his intention was.

Stepping out of the lift, Emma looked over the reception. A boy sitting on a couch looked up from the book he's reading to her. His smiling face brightened up the cold building - and her heart immediately. He knew it was his real mom; she knew it was him. She'd never forgotten the feeling of holding her baby right after he was born. He was so tiny, so fragile, crying - so was she because it was the first time and would be the last time she saw him. But here he was. Everything she worried about seconds ago was gone now. She wanted to smile but remained her expression emotionless. She walked towards him, cleared her throat and asked, "Who are you?"  
"My name is Henry. I am your son," he replied cheerfully, hearing the voice of his real mom finally. It's like a melody.  
"Stop right there. You are not my son. How do I know you are not making this up?" She tested him regardless of what she felt. Appearances could be deceiving - that's a lesson she learnt from almost costing a informer's life in the very beginning of her career.  
He was a smart kid. He knew strong proof was needed to convince her after finding out his mom was an agent which made him proud.  
"Here," he handed her the adoption documents. She examined them meticulously. And they're not fakes.  
"So you're my son biologically. What do you want?"  
"I want you to come home with me."  
"Home? Where is home?"  
"Storybrooke, Maine."  
"Storybrooke? You live in that small town with the ridiculous name?"  
"You knew about where I live?" he asked lively. So she had been keeping an eye on him all this time? As an guardian angel maybe?  
"No, the name's just fuc-" she stopped herself and the disappointment on his face caused a knot in her stomach, "I- I… I'm gonna go upstairs to gather my things and then take you home. Don't go anywhere."  
"I will go anywhere you go if you let me!" was what she heard before the lift doors closed.

They got into her yellow bug and started their journey. Although she was a FBI agent, she loved this yellow bug which had been laughed at by people endlessly. She didn't care about what the others thought as long as she felt good and right. It applied to her working methods as well. She used extreme ways to track down criminals with which her colleagues disagreed. But she insisted and most importantly she succeeded. Their look of dissatisfaction engraved in her mind and never failed to make her smirk.

During the long drive, Henry embracing a book so tight against his chest never kept his eyes off Emma. She couldn't take it anymore and said, "Actually it's kind of scary that you keep staring at me."  
"You're my real mom. I want to remember everything of you!"  
He was really one of a kind she thought so she changed the topic, "What's that?"  
"It's a book. Every fairy tales in it actually happened. You should know more than anyone."  
"Why is that?"  
"Because you're in this book."  
"Oh, kid. You've got problems."  
"Yep, and you're gonna fix 'em."

**_Welcome to Storybrooke_**

Once on the main street, she asked, "Okay, kid. How about an address?"  
"44 I'm-not-telling-you street," he murmured.  
She clearly annoyed got out of the car, slamming the door.  
"Look, it's been a long night, and it's almost…" as she looked up to the clock tower, "8:15?"  
"That clock hasn't moved in my whole life. Time's frozen here."  
"Excuse me?"  
"My mom, the Evil Queen, did it with her curse. She sent all the storybook character from the enchanted forest here. And now they don't remember who they are."  
"Henry!" yelled a man, "What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"  
"I'm fine, Archie."  
"Who is this?" Archie asked, looking at her curiously.  
"Just someone trying to give him a ride home."  
"She's my mom."  
"Oh…"  
"Do you know where he lives?"  
"Sure. The Mayor's house is the biggest one on Mifflin Street."  
"You're the Mayor's kid?"  
"Uh, maybe."  
"Hey, where were you today, Henry? 'cause you missed our session."  
"I… um…"  
"Okay. Well, I really should be getting him home,"Emma interrupted.  
"Sure, have a good night. And, uh, you be good, Henry," Archie walked away and Emma and Henry got back in the car.

They arrived at the mansion.  
"Please don't take me back there," he begged.  
"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."  
"I don't have parents… just a mom, and she's evil."  
"Evil? That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"  
"She is. She doesn't love me. She only pretends to," he muttered.  
"Kid. I'm sure that's not true…"  
"Henry?" the door opened wide, from which a woman rushing towards him hugging him, "oh, Henry. Are you okay? Where have you been? What happened?"  
"I found my real mom!" ranted he running towards the house.  
"Y-you're Henry's birth mother?"  
"Hi," Emma said timidly, finally realizing there was a man standing in front of the door.  
"I'll just go and check on the lad, make sure he's all right," he said, going inside.  
"What's your name?"  
"I'm Emma Swan."  
"I'm Regina Mills," she said checking her out, "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?"  
"Got anything stronger?"

"How did he find you?" Regina questioned, pouring drink into the glasses.  
"No idea. He came to my working place a few hours ago. Maybe being on the news make me famous."  
"And why were you on the news?" she handed the cider to Emma.  
"I am a FBI agent and my team hunted down an international drug mart a week ago."  
"Oh? Impressive," Emma wondered why she lied, "So you're tougher than you look. How do you run wearing those skinny jeans?"  
What the hell? Was she hitting up on her? Fine. She'd play,"I am just that good. And how can you as the mayor sitting behind the desk all the time still have a nice body?"  
"I was born this way."  
She's about to make a remark. But the man came down downstairs, "Madame mayor, you can relax. Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine."  
"Thank you, sheriff." Oh, so he was the sheriff. Judging by their exchange of glances, she noticed there was definitely something going on between those two. But it's none of her business really.

"I'm sorry he dragged you out of your life. I really don't know what's gotten into him," Regina said walking to the study and Emma followed.  
"Kid's having a rough time. It happens."  
"You have to understand balancing things as a single mom is tricky. So I push for order. Am I strict? I suppose, but I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil, do you?"  
"I'm sure he's just saying that because he was indulged in fairy tales too much."  
"What fairy tales?"  
"Oh, you know, his book, How he thinks everyone's a cartoon character from it. Like you're the Evil Queen," she chuckled.  
"Excuse me?" Regina snapped. Did then she realize what she just said.  
"He… He thinks you're the Evil Queen. But I see how anxious you were back running towards him. So you can't be her, right?" she hoped she would get that she's joking.  
"Of course, I can't," she replied.  
She lied. Again. It was the first time she doubted her superpower - for merely a few seconds.  
"It's rather late and you really should be going," Regina got up quickly, ushering her out.

_**Leaving Storybrooke**_

Only after she passed the sign, she was able to gather her thoughts. Why would someone lie about being a fairytale character? Let alone the infamous Evil Queen? If she was evil, that means what Henry said was true. She only pretended to love him. What else had she done to him that he hadn't mentioned yet? That's exactly what she was afraid when putting him up for adoption. She as growing up in a foster system should have known better than those who didn't that it was as fucked up as one could be. She had no other choices back then. But now she had. She was a grown up, had a decent job and could support a family. To be honest, she wasn't sure if she was ready to be a mom. But she would be damned if she let her baby living with a heartless woman. She had to do something to prove to the court that this woman was not suitable to be a foster parent. She would investigate on her own and do whatever it took. She hadn't come up a plan just yet. But she knew she had to leave this town now. Because only if she did, that woman would lower her guards down and show her true self. She wouldn't let the innocent boy who was just sitting next to her 30 minutes ago… As she , the book was here. "Sneaky bastard." She would mail it back to him soon, she thought to herself.

She was back in her office with 5 cans of coffee on her desk - even pouring it to a mug was a waste of time to her. Although exhausted as hell, she wouldn't let herself fall asleep. She had been in worse situation because of work before. Who were concerned were strangers, but now it was her kid.  
"Emma, you haven't left here for the whole day?" questioned Saul Berenson, the 53-year-old FBI's Cyber Division Chief, the only person she trusted other than herself, and now Henry.  
"Actually I have. I have gone to Maine."  
"Maine? Is this about that boy?"  
"How did you…"  
"Sarah is not just a receptionist in any places but the FBI headquarters. However hard you try to put on a mask, she knows when something isn't right. So she told me."  
"Right. That b-"  
"She told only me, okay? Now why don't you leave her alone and tell me what happened."  
So she did. Never asking any help, she desperately needed it now. She wasn't afraid he would tell anyone or judge her because they had known each other for a long time. He was her old boss and mentor. He was the father figure she'd never had. If he wasn't that old and already happily married she would totally sleep with him, she imagined only once.

"So you do believe she is the Evil Queen?" he blurted having finally absorbing what she said.  
"I… I don't know. I only know something isn't right. And I want to make sure Henry is and will be okay. If she harms him in any forms, I will report her in no time."  
"I see…"  
"How about we put her under surveillance first? Plant hidden cameras and bugs in her house, office, and car. We will know whatever she does when, where, and how. And we can also keep an eye on him. What do you think?"  
If Emma allowed herself, she would have hug him so tight that he couldn't breath. But she didn't because she would like to believe she wasn't sentimental. She instead whispered, "tha-"  
"You're welcome," "is there a way we can contact him somehow? To let him know you are trying to do something for him?"  
"Shit. I didn't ask for any ways to contact him. He just left me the damn book," pointing at it inside her bag.  
He took it out and opened it. There was a memo attached on the first page. So he handed it back to her.  
"What…"

_Dear Emma,_  
_ I know the hero never believes at first. If they did, it wouldn't be a very good story. I've written my address, my email address, my mom's cell and her office address below. I hope they will be helpful for you to uncover her true identity and break the curse. And you have to keep this book. That's the only way that we have the advantage. I believe in you._  
_ Love,_  
_ Henry_

She had not cried since she was 18. That's a promise she made to herself on Henry's birthday. She wouldn't let anything or anyone get the best of her. However, her kid, the one she gave up, believed in her. People trust her working ability, her instinct, but not her.  
Saul was shocked. A calm Emma was already hard to handle, a sobbing Emma… He could only joked, "it seems your kid is smarter than you."  
She rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling, wiping away her tears, "shut up! I'm gonna call Virgil," who was a 40-year-old surveillance expert ",to set up the things needed."  
"No, you are not gonna do anything other than go home and sleep. I will call him and personally supervise them. We will set things up at her mansion first, then at her office during lunch. I will call you immediately after they have finished there and before they go to your home to set up the monitors."  
"But-"  
"No but. Besides, you won't want any town people there notice you are there, right?"  
"You're right. Thanks," she mumbled.  
"What? I can't hear you."  
She narrowed her eyes at him, making them both laughing.

She was now at home. Collapsed on the couch, she took her phone out and started typing an email:

_Henry,_  
_ I've something planned. But I can't tell you what it is. I'm going to do my best to help you. Stay strong._  
_ Emma_  
_ PS Don't forget to delete all emails after you've read or sent them._

Once she sent it, she drifted off to sleep.

At 4 p.m., after 7 hours of sleep, she was awoken by the ringing phone.  
"You've finished over there?"  
"Yes, this is Virgil. I'm at your door now."  
"What? Saul said he'd call right after-"  
"I know. But he figured you probably need more sleep. Now would you mind letting me in?"  
She hung up and went downstairs. He pushed a cart inside apartment. Then he placed two large monitors and two pairs of headset connecting to a notebook on her coffee table. All cables were set. However, the screens were black and there was only static coming through the headphones.  
"What the fuck is that? Why isn't it working? One minute of the things are not functioning, one minute of evidence will be lost," she bawled.  
Then the static got louder and now clear; the screens flashed for a few times and now were recording. Every corner of every room was now under Emma's burning eyes which were highly focused on Regina who was doing some paperwork at her office.  
"See? I've been doing this for 20 years. There's no way I fail."  
"Fine. Here is the fee," she said signing a check and giving it to him, "you may go now."  
He put inside his pocket, "Saul asked me to stay here and look after you though."  
"I don't need to be taken cared of, and especially not by you."  
"I don't want it either. But I've promised him. Actually I can help you. Two pairs of eyes are better than one, right?"  
"I guess so…" the Mayor stood up and was putting things into her bag, "SHE IS LEAVING!"  
"Hey, calm down. If you yell out whatever her next move is, you'll lose your voice by the end of the night."  
"Jesus, have anyone told you how irritating you're?"  
"Yes, you have. A thousand times."  
She keeping staring at the monitors hissed.

Regina closed the door and now they waited.

**A/N 2:** Yes, I stole the concept and some characters of Homeland. For those who watch the show, I hope this fic isn't too similar with it. For those who don't, I hope I explained the idea clear enough. Thank you for reading. Comments are highly appreciated :)


End file.
